Improvement in hoop-skirts



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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID HAWKINS, OF BIRMINGHAM, CONNECTICUT.

lMPROVEMENT IN HOOP-SKIRTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,396, dated August 4, 1863.

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, DAVID HAwKINs, of Birmingham, of the county of New Haven, in the State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hoop- Skirts; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this application.

My invention relates to a novel method of making hoop-skirts, and has for its objects to render a hoop-skirt capable of having its upper portion so opened or distended at pleas ure as to admit of the skirt being more readily put on and oft' of the wearer and without any straining or injury to the skirt; and to these ends my invention consists in making the tabs,

,or portion to which the ends of the bustlehoops are secured, detachable from the tapes or portions to which the continuous hoops are connected, so that the tabs or tapes to which the ends of the bustle-hoops are connected can be uncoupled or disconnected from the other portion of the skirt so as to increase the opening through which the upper portion of the body of the wearer has to pass, as hereinafter more fully described.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring by letters to the accompanying dra win gs,forming part of this application, and in which- Figure l is a front elevation of ahoop-skirt embracing my invention. Fig. 2 is a partial front view of the same, showing the parts in a diierent condition, the upper portion of the skirt being opened or distended as will be presently explained.

Wherever the same part occurs in the different gures it will be found indicated by the same letter of reference.

a and a2 are the tapes, b the hoops, and d the waistband, of a skirt. The tapes a a2 are formed with pockets, through which the hoops b pass, and in which they are retained by metallic clasps, and the waistband Z is furnished with a suitable hook, e, and eyelet-holes f, by which means it is fastened around the waist of the wearer.

All the parts of the skirt may be made in any of the known methods and styles, and I need, therefore, .only allude here to that portion ofthe skirt which embodies my invention.

YA given number of the hoops, at the upper portion of the skirt do not run entirely around, but stop at the front tapes, a2 a2, to which their ends are fastened, and generally have their ends covered by tabs C. These tapes, to which the ends of the bustle-hoops 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 are fastened, have, previous to my invention, been made continuous, or in one part. In my improved skirt the ends of the hoops I, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 are fastened in any suitable manner, to the tabs c. These tabs are secured at their upper ends to the waistband d, and are coupled by a hook and eyelet, g, to the tapes a2 at the lower ends of the said tabs.

It will be seen that by simply unhooking the upper ends of the tapes a2 a2 from the lower ends of the tabs c c and unhooking the waist-band d the upper portion of the skirt may be spread open or distended, as shown at Fig. 2, and it will be understood that the skirt thus opened out at its top portion can be much more readily put on and oft' by the wearer than can a skirt constructed as those made previous to my invention.

It will be understood that although I have shown the connection or coupling between the tabs c and tapes a2 at the point where the top continuous hoop is situated, such connection may be made at a point above that shown, though I deem it best to make the coupling at the place designated in the drawings.

I have shown the tabs @attached to the tapes a2 by means of hooks g on the tapes and eyelets in the tabs; but l wish it to be understood that my invention does not relate to any peculiarity in the means of attaching or coupling the tabs c to the tapes a2, and that I propose to use any desirable device or means of connection between the said tabs and tapes which will admit of the detachment required to allow the skirt to be spread open at the top, substantially as hereinbefore explained.

` It will also be understood that in lieu of the tabs c the ends of the hoops l, 2, 3, &c., can be secured to a piece of tape similar to that seen at a2, and any suitable means be provided for attaching sueh piece of tape to and the purposes set forth. detaehing it from the tape a2. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set Having fully shown and described my invenmy hand and seal this 28th day of April, 1863. tion, what I claim as new, and desire to secure l DAVID HAWKINS. [L. 8.] by Letters Patent, is- In presence of- A hoopskirt so constructed as that the up- JOSEPH ToMLINsoN, Jr., per portion can be distended or opened out, W. S. BROWNE.

substantially as herein before described, for 

